No. 22 Iowa State taps its inner critic in the wake of its first loss of the season

AMES — Iowa State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser shares at least one trait with his star quarterback Rocco Becht.

They’re each their own worst — or maybe best? — critics.

So when the No. 22 Cyclones struggled to execute in crucial junctures for the first time this season during Saturday’s 38-30 loss at Cincinnati, Mouser and Becht looked inward to correct issues on their side of the ball.

“We weren’t able to stay consistent,” Becht said after throwing for 314 yards and totaling four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) agains the Bearcats.

Mouser confirmed that diagnosis when talking to the media on Tuesday.

“It’s hard not to blame yourself, and I do that a lot of times,” said ISU’s second-year OC, who plans to scheme up more favorable results for the Cyclones (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game (ESPN) at Colorado (2-4, 0-3). “You’re an inch off here, you know, you’re so close, and the difference here is always gonna be in the margins, and a play here, a play there. They add up and there (are) critical moments and critical situations where they out-executed us, or out-coached us.”

Becht nonetheless shook off the effects of a hard hit to the head on Saturday, missing just two plays while improving his touchdown-to-interception ratio to 9-to-2. ISU’s third-year starting quarterback also said he’d been battling an ankle issue, but was out on the practice field on Tuesday, Cyclone head coach Matt Campbell said.

“He’s tough, he’s resilient, and he’s gonna keep playing,” Campbell said of Becht, who’s been sacked 11 times this season. “I really appreciate that. So it is a fine balance sometimes, because I think it’s one of those things (where) you want to be mindful of, man, the guy’s dinged up.

“But, you know, sometimes when you watch that guy pull the ball down and go run, he’s gonna compete until there’s no time left on the clock and that’s what makes him really special.”

Consider ISU in a holding pattern on other known injuries. Campbell said safeties Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman and Cam Smith remain questionable, and tailback Carson Hansen shares that status after being concussed in the loss to the Bearcats.

“He’s a tough kid (and) really trying to get himself back,” Campbell said of Hansen, who leads the Cyclones in rushing yards with 350. “We’ll see where he is by Wednesday, Thursday, and see if he’s available for us.”

One player who won’t be available is starting kicker Kyle Konrardy, who will miss his third consecutive game because of a leg injury. Campbell hopes he can return after ISU’s second bye week to face No. 18 BYU on Oct. 25 at home.

“He has started kicking again, which, I think, (is) positive,” Campbell said. “That’s trending in the right direction. … You get a bye, and maybe the opportunity that he’s healthy enough coming out of it that you have a chance to get him back, so we’re excited for him and he’s doing a great job in terms of his process of getting himself back.”

Becht, meanwhile, will try to get the Cyclones’ offense back on the path toward greater consistency. ISU ranks 10th in the Big 12 in scoring offense (31.3 points per game), and rushing offense (151.8 yards per game), while checking in at seventh in passing offense at 248.3 yards per game.

Those numbers must improve if the Cyclones are to contend for a conference title for the second consecutive season, and both Becht and Mouser will rely on their respective self-critical eyes to help ensure that happens.

“I have enough George Costanza (the famous “Seinfeld” character) in me to where I’m always kind of just mad at myself for different stuff and think that it’s my fault,” Mouser said. “And our kids here — you won’t find a quarterback that’s more willing to go out there and die for his teammates than our guy. … Our guys will do everything we ask of them.

“I have to make sure I’m asking them to do the right thing. Sometimes you are. Sometimes you learn that you’re not. That’s always been my outlook on it.”

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